Quarterback

Everybody knows the situation here; Devin Gardner is potentially in store for a very, very special season.

He is on the cusp of not only being one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten, but in the entire country.

If Gardner has the kind of year many are expecting of him, it probably means Michigan will be playing in the Big Ten Championship and in line for a BCS bowl.

Losing Russell Bellomy to injury really hurts, as there is literally no experience behind Gardner. Shane Morris would probably be the first guy in if anything were to happen to Gardner, even though he's only a freshman.

Morris' biggest competition for that backup spot will come from two walk-ons in Brian Cleary and Alex Swieca.

Running Back

This is an incredibly hard position to judge. As a unit it could wind up being one of the strongest on this entire team.

With that being said, it could also wind up being the worst That's how much uncertainty there is at the position.

The main reason is because it is impossible to predict how Fitzgerald Toussaint will bounce back from his leg injury. Will he run the way he did down the stretch in 2011? Or will he falter and be ineffective just as he was last year? Only time will tell.

It is also very hard to predict how Derrick Green will perform. Only a freshman, there could be growing pains with him, or he may be a stud right off the bat. Again, only time will tell.

Behind those two is a large number of players who may or may not play a role; some of the names include Thomas Rawls, Justice Hayes, Drake Johnson and DeVeon Smith.

As mentioned above, though, how productive Green and Toussaint are is the key to this unit.

Tight End

This is quickly turning into one of the strongest units on this entire team.

Devin Funchess' and A.J. Williams' contributions as freshmen last year are the main reason why. Both men should obviously take another big step forward this season.

The position will only get stronger, though, with the addition of Jake Butt. The fact that he was an early enrollee will almost assuredly allow him to see the field.

This trio of tight ends should make this unit deadly. Funchess' production in the passing game is definitely the key for this group, as he has the ability to become one of the better tight ends in the country.

Honestly, we may be saying the exact same thing about Butt a year or two down the road.

Defensive Line

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

I am incredibly intrigued by the situation Michigan has at defensive line. No, this certainly isn't a great group, but it's not a bad one either.

Just about all of the players on it have interesting story lines heading into the season. For example, will Quinton Washington build off of his breakout season last year? If he does, he'll easily be one of the best tackles in the Big Ten.

Has Jibreel Black finally found a home as a senior on the interior of this line? Ondre Pipkins has all the potential in the world, but can he start to put it all together as a sophomore?

Perhaps the most intriguing player, though, is Frank Clark. A popular breakout choice, Clark is the kind of freak athlete that can take over games from his defensive end spot. He has shown flashes of doing this in the past, but never has been able to do it consistently. Will this be the year?

To go along with the projected starters, there are a ton of youngsters that should earn playing time as well, including Taco Charlton, Chris Wormley, Willie Henry, Matt Godin and Tom Strobel.

It looks like bodies will be rotated in at an amazingly high rate, but it definitely isn't out of necessity.

Cornerback

Cornerback is also one of Michigan's two or three strongest units on the team.

If Blake Countess truly returns at full strength, which is expected, then he will probably earn All-Big Ten honors and could be looking at All-American honors before his career is done.

Who starts across from him seems to be up in the air, but only because the competition is so strong.

The job will either go to Raymon Taylor or Courtney Avery, both of whom have a ton of experience and are proven commodities.

The depth behind these three is magnificent, and only continues to get stronger each year.

It's looking more and more like Dymonte Thomas may wind up being the starting nickelback, something that adds to the strength of this position. Even though he's only a freshman, Thomas will be a stud sooner rather than later.

Safety

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Safety definitely won't be a strength this fall, but it shouldn't be a weakness either.

By this point in his career everyone knows what to expect out of Thomas Gordon. He isn't going to wow you or make the highlight reel play, but he does just enough to get the job done. It would be nice if he picked his game up a notch, though, as a fifth-year senior.

Some fans may have a few questions surrounding Jarrod Wilson, who will be a first-time starter.

The sophomore is athletic enough and did gain some experience last year, so there really shouldn't be too much to worry about.

The only concerns that could arise with Wilson are all mental, so he'll need to conquer that aspect quickly (if he hasn't already.)

Unlike a lot of these positions, depth is a huge problem here at safety. Marvin Robinson's departure from the team leaves absolutely no experience behind the two starters, so an injury could hurt more than usual.

Again, this position probably isn't a strength, but the starters should do enough to ensure it's not a weakness either.